Lock-hinge.



E. A. GAY. LOOK HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1908.

907,589 Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

ll E? I 6 EDGAR A. GAY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

LOCK-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application filed March 30, 1908. Serial No. 423,982.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. GAY, of Rochester, in the county of Monroeand State of New York, have invented certain-new and useful Improvementsin Lock-Hinges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates to lock hinges in which the hinge membersare automatically locked in different positions when the parts by whichthey are carried are relatively adjusted; and it has for an object toprovide a reversible hinge that is a hinge which may be used either onthe right or on the left hand side of an article of furniture, such asMorris chairs, couches, or the like.

To this and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

In the drawings wherein I have shown only one embodiment of myinvention, Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the hinge with themembers thereof at the inner end of their movements. Figs. 2 and 3inclusive show two intermediate positions of the hinge members. Fig. 4shows the manner in which a locking device is brought into operation tohold the abutments and the rack members out of engagement; Fig. 5 showsthe locking device in effective position; Fig. 6 shows one positionduring the movement of the hinge members in closing, the positionimmediately prior to the releasing of the rack member being shown indotted lines; Fig. 7 is a detail view of the rack member; and Fig. 8 isa sectional view through the device on line aa of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings A and 13 indicate the hingemembers pivoted together on a bearing 1 to turn about a common axis, themembers being provided with lips 2 and screw openings 3 to receivescrews whereby they are retained on any suitable articles of furnitureemploying two relatively swinging members. In the operation of mypresent embodiment one of these members should always be maintained in avertical position, but it matters not which is so held and as aconsequence the device may be used either on the right hand side or theleft hand side of the furniture. The hinge members in this instancecarry the two abutments 4 which are preferably in the form ofcylindrical studs arranged below the turning axis of the hinge members.Cooperating with both of these studs is a rack member C which in thisinstance is formed with a pair of racks 5 and 6 on its lower edge, theracks having their teeth extending in opposite directions and beingarranged in diver ent relation to each other, and stops 7 being providedat the ends of the racks. This rack member is mounted to swingpreferably about an axis coincident with the turning axis of the hingeand is also adapted to move transversely of said axis being for thispurpose provided with a slotted upwardly extending portion 8 which fitsloosely about the bearing 9 that is secured to and alined with thebearing 1. With this form of rack member, first one abutment rides overthe teeth of one rack and when the stop 7 at the end thereof is reachedthe other rack is drawn over the other abutment until the other stop 7is reached.

In order that the hinge members may be moved together when the outerlimit is reached, I may provide two downwardly and outwardly extendingcams 10 one at the outer end of each rack, the pressure of the abutmentson these cams due to the further separation of the hinge members causingthe rack member to move transversely of its axis and the racks to moveout of cooperative relation with the abutments. The rack member may beheld in this position by a locking device which preferably comprises aswinging member 11 in the form of a plate mounted to turn about theswinging axis of the hinge members and the rack member, a bearing 12being provided for this purpose. T his looking device has two lockingportions, one for locking the rack member when the invention is employedas a right hand hinge and the other when the invention is employed as aleft hand hinge. In the present instance the locking portions comprisetwo shoulders 13 with which coiiperates a stop 14 carried by the rackmember, the swinging member 11 being formed with a slot 15 in which thestop 14 works during the opening movement of the hinge, and slots 16extending in opposite directions from the up er end ofthe slot '15 tothe shoulders 13 to receive the stop 14 when the cams 1O elevate therack member so that the locking device can swing under its own weight,as shown in Fig. 4. Upon the release of the parts stop 14 enters behinda shoulder 13 and the hinge members are moved, one toward the other tothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The locking device is nowcaused to release the rack memher, this being preferably effected by theengagement of one of the abutments 4 with an extension 17 forming aportion of the locking device, and the engagement of the other abutmentwith an extension 18 depending from the rack member between the tworacks thereon, the extension 18 being beveled at 19 on opposite sides inorder that the abutment cooperating therewith may move the rack membertransversely of its swinging axis to carry the stop 14 from behind theshoulder 13.

The stop 14 may be in the form of a loop, as shown, in order to providea means for securing the rack member against abnormal displacement, anopening 20 in the swinging member 11 receiving its other end.

The operation will be understood from the foregoing description and itmay, therefore, be stated generally at this point. With the partspositioned, as shown in Fig. 1, when the hinge member B is swungupwardly, the right hand abutment 4 will ride on rack 6 and when righthand stop 7 is reached rack 5 will ride on the left hand abutment 4until the left hand stop 7 is reached. A further separation of themember causes the locking of the rack member C out of engagement withabutments 4 and this permits the lowering of the hinge member B. Therelease of the rack member is efiected near the lower limit of movement.I

With a hinge constructed in accordance with this invention it is notnecessary to make two sets of dies, one for a right hand hinge and theother for a left hand hinge.

The operation of the device is simple and its parts are few and notliable to become broken. Further, it is inexpensive to manufacture.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a pair of hinge members, of a pair of racks anda pair of abutments cooperating with the racks, one of said pairs beingcarried by the hinge members, a member carrying the other pair andmovable relatively to both hinge members and a device for holding saidmember so that the abutments will not cooperate with the racks.

2. The combination with a pair of hinge members, of a pair of racks anda pair of abutments cooperating with the racks, one of said pairs beingcarried by the hinge members, a member carrying the other pair andmovable relatively to both hinge members,

and means for automatically locking the last mentioned member in aposition so that the abutments will not cooperate with the racks.

3. The combination with a pair of hinge members, carrying a pair ofabutments, of a versely of said axis, and a pair of racks carried bysaid member and cooperating with the abutments, and a device for lockingboth racks out of engagement with the abutments.

5. The combination with a pair of hinge members, of a pair of abutments,and a pair of racks, one of said pairs being carried by the hingemembers, and a member carrying the other pair, mounted to swing aboutthe axis of the hinge members and to move transversely thereof.

6. The combination with a pair of hinge members, of a pair of abutmentscarried by the hinge members, and a rack member cooperating with bothabutments, and mount ed to swing and to move transversely of itsswinging axis.

7. The combination with a pair or hinge members, having a pair ofabutments thereon, of a rack member cooperating with both abutments, anda locking device for holding the rack member out of engagement with bothabutments.

8. The combination with a pair of hinge members, having a pair ofabutmentsthereon, of a rack member cooperating with both T abutments, alocking device for holding the rack member out of engagement with bothabutments, and means for throwing said locking device into operation asthe hinge members near the outer limit or" their movement.

9. The combination with a pair of hinge members, having a pair ofabutments thereon, of a rack member cooperating with both abutments, anda locking device for holding the rack member out of engagement with bothabutments, means for throwing said locking device into operation as thehinge members near the outer limit of their move ment, and means forreleasing said rack 1 11. The combination with a pair of hinge membershaving a pair of abutments thereon, of a relatively movable rack memberhaving a pair of racks thereon cooperating with the abutments and alsocams at the outer ends of the racks, and a locking device thrown intooperation by the cams.

12. The combination with a pair of hinge members having a pair ofabutments thereon, of a relatively movable rack member 00- operatingwith both abutments, and a locking device for holding the rack memberout of engagement with the abutments provided with two locking portionseach adapted to effect the locking of the rack member.

13. The combination with a pair of hinge members having a pair ofabutments thereon, of a rack member cooperating with both abutments andmounted to swing about the turning axis of the hinge member and to movetransversely to said aXis, and a locking device mounted to swing aboutthe same axis and having two locking portions each adapted to effect thelocking of the rack member.

14. The combination with a pair of hinge members having a pair ofabutments thereon, of a rack member cooperating with both abutments, anda locking device for holding the rack member out of engagement with theabutments having a portion engaged by one of the abutments to releasethe rack member when the hinge members near the inner limit of theirmovement.

15. The combination with a pair of hinge members having a pair ofabutments thereon, of a rack member having a pair of racks and also camsat the outer ends of the racks, said rack member being mounted to swingabout the axis of the hinge members and also to move transverselythereof, a stop carried by the rack member, and a locking device havinga slot therein in which the stop works, said slot having oppositelyextending lateral recesses into which the stop enters when the camsengage the abutments, and said locking device having a portion engagedby the abutments to release the rack member.

EDGAR A. GAY.

Witnesses:

HAROLD H. SIMMs, A. GAY.

